Reviews of Philosophy Practice : An Alternative to Counseling and Psychotherapy

Some reviews of:

PHILOSOPHY PRACTICE: ALTERNATIVE TO COUNSELING AND
PSYCHOTHERAPY

Iyyun, The Jerusalem Philosophical Quarterly 49 July
2000): 333-339.

Jerome Gellman

"This book is an impressive explanation and justification of
the growing
profession of philosophical practice. In it, Shlomit Schuster
offers
philosophical practice as an alternative to psychological therapy.

Clear, erudite, and well argued, this work grants the reader a
lucid
understanding of this new practice and its rationale.
Philosophers, in
particular, will gain by discovering here a fresh employment of
philosophy
that raises questions about their understanding of the enterprise
in which
they engage."

International Journal of Philosophical Practice 1:1 (2001).

Petra von Morstein

“Shlomit Shuster’s book on
philosophical practice is the clearest, most comprehensive and
authentic work in the –as yet very small–body of contemporary
literature on the subject that I have come accross so far”

Practical Philosophy 4, 1 (2001) 55-56.

Susan E. Wright

“Schuster is always thoughtful in her
presentation of her own and other people’s ideas. I was struck
by the breath of her reading, and where I had knowledge of her
material, by the depth of her insights.”

Journal of the Society of
Existential Analysis 12:1 (2001).

Kathy Parson

“The challenging and questioning
nature of the material makes it a very useful book, not only for
existential psychotherapists but for us all”

American Journal of Psychiatry
159 (2002): 1075-1076.

Christoph Mundt

"The narratives illustrate the spirits and intentions of
philosophy practice
very well. The main impression is the gain of coherence,
reconciliation
with those features of the self, the life history, or the
situation with
which the individual has been cross, which is helped greatly by
the
avoidance of "psychopathologization" of problems.

To sum up my impression of this book, there are useful intentions
and
procedures outlined in philosophy practice, foremost among them
putting the client's
problem into a wider frame of philosophical aporias."

“Schuster’s book should be of great
interest to every humanistic psychologist.”

American Journal of Psychotherapy
54:2 (2000) 271-272.

R. Andrew Schultz-Ross

"All in all, the book is provocative, [and] interesting
....”

Israel Journal of Psychiatry 39,
1 (2002) 68-69.

Rachael Chazan

“There is much to learn from this
book.”

The Canberra Times, July 8, 2000
Panorama p. 23.

George Stern

"Written in a warm, reflective style, it is both a
reasoned critique of standard psychotherapeutic methods and a
convincing
exposition of philosophical practice. But beneath the lucid
narrative
of the book you also glimpse profound scholarship and a sharp
intellect."

“Schuster's book has two main parts.
The first ... is a presentation of her theoretical views on
philosophical counseling (which she prefers to call "philosophy
practice"). The second part is an offering of eight case
studies from her own practice at Center Sophon in Jerusalem,
Israel -- cases meant to illustrate the views presented in part
one. Chapter 3, an excellent examination of the historical
foundations of philosophical counseling, is especially useful to
anyone newly interested. For the novice philosophical
practitioner, Chapter 4 and all of part two give a fascinating
glimpse into the practical elements of offering philosophy
outside an academic setting. Overall, the book is a rich source
of useful insights and information for those interested in
becoming philosophical counselors or better informed about this
burgeoning field.

Theoretical differences aside,
Schuster's book Philosophy Practice is easy to read, jargon free,
and interesting; an excellent introduction to the field. In true
philosophical fashion, she often questions her assumptions and
arguments. The result is a book whose author comes across as
genuinely open and truthful about her profession and her own
approach to its practice”

Metapsychology

June 2000

Christian Perring

“Schuster’s book can serve as a
helpful introduction both to potential clients and also those who
might want to try becoming philosophical counselors themselves”